Elastic flow restrictor pin assembly with peripherally grooved locking pin



Sept. 25, 1962 s. M VRSHEK 3,055,397

ELASTIC FLOW RESTRiCTOR PIN ASSEMBLY WITH PERIPHERALLY GROOVED LOCKING PIN Filed Dec. 11, 1958 EVEHZUF 6/61/81? M V/nsbek United States Patent ELASTIC FLOW RESTRICTOR PIN ASSEMBLY WITH PERIPHERALLY GROOVED LOCKING PIN Steven M. Vrshek, Mount Prospect, Ill., assignor to Turner Corporation, Sycamore, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 779,741 4 Claims. (Cl. 138-46) lfhis application relates generally to restrictors and more particularly to a restrictor construction incorporated in the push pin or elongated stem of a propane gas appliance, thereby to regulate the flow of pressurized fluid from a supply tank to an adjustment valve controlling the rate of flow to a point of utilization.

In torches and other liquefied petroleum appliances utilizing propane fuel, it is customary to use a pressurized source of fuel constituting a so-called throw-away bottle or tank onto which the appliance is fastened during the period of use. The containers or tanks are customarily fitted with a discharge valve construction in the order of a tire valve having a movable core adapted to be engaged by a so-called push pin or elongated stem when the appliance is fastened to the container or tank, thereby to open the discharge valve in the tank and admit gaseous fuel through an adjustment valve which regulates the supply of fuel to the ultimate point of utilization.

In one form of prior art arrangement, the push pin or elongated stem is modified to incorporate a regulating valve and pressure reducer which is in the nature of a spring-biased valve construction utilizing tiny parts and requiring machining and assembly operations which increase the cost of the apparatus.

Moreover, certain difliculties are frequently encountered with such prior art constructions since the gas appliances are oftentimes assembled and disassembled with respect to the containers or tanks. Because of the need of incorporating tiny valve parts into the push pin or elongated stem, a thin-walled push pin construction results which is susceptible to damage and breakage.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved push pin construction which eliminates the necessity of tiny valve parts and thin-walled construction and wherein is incorporated a restrictor which will reduce the pressure of gaseous fuel supplied to the adjustment valve from a pressurized source of fuel such as a throw-away container or tank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide regulating means for a propane appliance which utilize a reduced number of simplified parts which are economical to produce, rugged in use and dependable in service.

Many other features, advantages and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description which follows and the accompanying sheet of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment .of an apparatus incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view with parts shown in elevation of a propane appliance and incorporating the improved restrictor of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view with parts shown in elevation depicting in enlarged scale the restrictor construction of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the restrictor of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view with parts shown in elevation and with parts shown in cross-section to illustrate additional details of construction of the present invention.

As shown on the drawings:

Patented Sept. 25, 1962 In FIGURE 1, the present invention is shown applied to a propane gas torch, although it will be understood that the principles of the present invention are applicable to any environment wherein it is desired to reduce and regulate the flow of fiuid through a passage to an adjustment valve. Thus, there is shown a torch 10 connected as at 11 to a valve body 12 having a neck 13 internally threaded as at 14 for attachment to the nipple or outlet member 16 fastened in firm assembly to an opening 17 in one wall of a container or tank 18 containing a supply of pressurized liquefied petroleum fuel such as propane.

The container or tank 18 may conveniently comprise a container of propane gas of the throw away or refillable type commercially available in shops and stores. It will be noted that the container 18 is fitted with a safety valve 19 the details of construction of which are not necessary to an understanding of the principles of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the details of construction of the outlet member 16, it will be noted that an outwardly projecting body portion thereof is externally threaded as at 20 thereby to facilitate threaded assembly of the valve body 12 on the outlet member 16. The out let member 16 is further characterized by the provision of a successively counterbored passage 21 in which is received a discharge valve assembly 22 which may conveniently comprise a so-called tire valve including a body-like stem 23 firmly assembled in the recess 21 having a passage extending therethrough controlled by a valve head 24 connected to a core 26 which projects through the passage and which has an actuating portion 27 adapted to be engaged by the end of a so-called push pin or elongated stem indicated generally at 28. A gasket 29 is inserted between the outlet member 16 and the valve body 12 to insure a good sealing relationship therebetween.

The valve body 12 is formed with a passage 30 extending therethrough in which is formed at an intermediate portion thereof a valve seat 31 controlled by a needle valve 32. The needle valve 32 is manually adjusted relative to the seat 31 by a knob 33 extending into a manually accessible position outside of the valve body 12. The needle valve 32 has a valve stem 34 threaded to engage a correspondingly threaded bushing 36 received in an internally threaded recess 37 formed in the valve body 12.

The passage 30 in the valve body 12 has a threaded inlet end 38 particularly characterized by the formation of a threaded counterbore adapted to receive in threaded assembly the push pin indicated generally at 28. For additional details of construction of the push pin 28, convenient reference may be made to the enlarged details of FIGURES 2, 3 and 4.

The push pin comprises three assembled-together parts, namely, a body member 40, an elastic restrictor means taking the form of an elastic pin or rubber shaft or cylinder indicated at 50 and an inelastic restrictor means taking the form of a driving lock pin or rigid cylinder indicated at 60.

The body member 40 comprises a generally cylindrical article having an axial bore 41 terminating in an inlet end 42 and having an outlet end 43 externally threaded as at 44 for threaded engagement with the threaded inlet end 38 in the valve body .12. An enlarged hex-shaped toolengaging portion 45 is provided on an intermediate portion of the body member 40, thereby to provide a stepped radial shoulder 46 which, in assembly of the push pin 28 with the valve body 12, engages against the end of a boss in the bottom of the valve body 12 and a steel retaining washer 70 (FIGURE 1) acts to hold the gasket 29 in place.

A counterbore 47 extends from the outlet end 43 of the body member 40 to a shoulder 47a extending radially between the bore 41 and the counterbore 47. The inlet end 42 of the body member 40 has an end face 48 particularly characterized by the formation therein of a transverse groove 49 which insures against closure of the bore 41 when the end face 48 engages against the core 27 of the tire valve 22 and opens the same. The inlet end 42 of the body member 40 has a cylindrical peripheral surface which engages an O ring seal 25 carried in the recess 21 of the outlet member 16 and retained against displacement by an annular retainer 251:.

The elastic restriction means 50 comprises an elastic pin or rubber shaft of cylindrical configuration having an end face 51 engageable with the shoulder 47a and an end face 52. The spacing dimension between the end faces 51 and 52 is less than the spacing dimension between the shoulder 47a and the outlet end 43 of the counterbore 47. Moreover, although the outer diameter of the elastic pin 50 is greater than the diameter of the bore 41, it is less than the inner diameter of the counterbore 47 Thus, the elastic pin 50 is loosely received within the recess provided by the counterbore 47 and when received therein sufiicient clearance is enjoyed between the elastic pin 50 and the Walls of the counterbore 47 that an annular relief area 53 is provided as is shown in FIGURE 2.

The elastic restrictor means or elastic pin 50 is made from any elastic material such as rubber or appropriate synthetic substitutes therefor, although it is desirable to select a material which will retain its characteristics of elasticity throughout a wide temperature range thereby to afford a uniformity of operation.

The inelastic or rigid restrictor means which takes the form of the lock pin 60 is conveniently provided by an ordinary rod form member of cylindrical configuration and having a smooth peripheral wall, but cut to size and subjected to a forming operation, thereby to provide the characteristics of the rigid pin 60 shown in the drawing.

Thus, an ordinary cylindrical driving lock pin is subjected to an upsetting operation wherein one or more grooves are formed to extend in an axial direction and at circumferentially spaced locations in the peripheral surface of the pin 60. In the preferred embodiment herein shown, there are three grooves 61 and each of the grooves is particularly characterized by a generally V-shaped configuration having the widest dirnension 62 at the outermost end of the pin 60 and narrowing progressively down to terminate at or short of the inner end of the pin 60. The innermost end face of the pin 60 is indicated at 63 and the outermost end face is indicated at 64. Thus, the apex of each of the grooves 61 is nearer the end face 63. In such upsetting operation, it will be clear that the V-shaped configuration of the grooves causes suflicient displacement of material in the pin 60 so that the material is crowded into adjacent land areas, thereby providing a circumferential row of alternately spaced grooves 61 and lands 66. Moreover, because the amount of material which is displaced is proportional to the size of the grooves 61, less material is displaced nearer the innermost end face 63 and the peripheral surface of the pin 60 therefore tapers from a small size near the end face 63 to a larger size adjacent the end face 64.

The end result is that the pin 60 is sufficiently tapered when grooved that it may be driven into a wedging locking relationship in the outlet end of the counterbore 47, thereby insuring that the pin 60 will be placed in firm assembly with the body member 40. Moreover, the innermost end face 63 engages against the end face 52 of the elastic pin 50, thereby confining the elastic restrictor means or elastic pin 50 within the recess provided by the counterbore 47. The tapered peripheral surface of the pin 60, including the alternately spaced lands 66 and grooves 61, cooperate with the adjoining bore walls of the counterbore 47 to provide a restricted flow path, thereby to further reduce the flow of fluid from the container 18 to the valve 32. When assembled in the body member 40, the end face 64 is preferably flush with the outlet end 43 of the body member 40.

The combined spacing dimension of the elastic pin 50 and the rigid pin 60 is such as to be substantially equal to the axial spacing dimension of the recess provided by the counterbore 47 and specifically the spacing dimension between the shoulder 47a and the outlet end 43 of the body member 40.

Thus, the restrictor-type regulator and pressure reducer of the present invention is quickly and conveniently assembled merely by taking the three parts 40, 50 and 60 and successively inserting the elastic pin 50 into the counterbore 47 and thereupon driving the lock pin 60 into the same counterbore 47 until the end face 64 is flush with the outlet end 43 of the body member 40.

The assembled unit, as shown in FIGURE 2, is then threaded into the recess 38 of an appropriate valve body 12 used in connection with a propane appliance such as a torch whereupon the valve body 12 may be readily assembled on the outlet member 16 of a throW-away-type container or tank 18. The end face 48 of the push pin 28 opens the tire valve 22 and the pressurized gaseous fuel released from the interior of the container 18 will be admitted through the bore 41. The high pressure of the container 18 will be successively reduced by the restriction imposed upon the flow of the gas by the elastic restriction means 50 and the inelastic or rigid restriction means 60 whereupon a reduced flow of gaseous fuel enters the passage 30 for adjustment to the point of utilization by the adjustment valve 32.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A restrictor comprising a stem adapted to be assembled in the gas passage of a propane appliance having a bored cylindrical passage extending longitudinally therethrough, said stern having an elongated counterbore formed at one end of said passage, an elongated elastic cylindrical pin of larger diameter than said passage but of smaller diameter than said counterbore inserted in said counterbore to form a restricted flow passage in said counterbore, said cylindrical pin being elongated to have a length longer than its diameter but being shorter than the length of said elongated counterbore, and being received in the bottom of said counterbore, and a rigid locking pin in firm assembly in the top of said counterbore outwardly of said elastic cylindrical pin at said one end of said stern but wholly within said stem, said locking pin having one or more longitudinally extending recesses formed in the peripheral surface thereof to divide the surface into axially extending V-shaped grooves and tapered lands and forming together with the adjoining portions of the Walls of said counterbore and with said elastic cylindrical pin an extension of said restricted flow passage through said stem.

.2. In a regulator for controlling the discharge of gaseous fuel,

means providing a fluid passage communicating with a source of fuel at increased pressure,

and pressure reducing restriction means in said passage comprising pusher pin means having a bore with an enlarged counterbore in said bore having a radial shoulder at one end thereof,

a cylindrical elastic pin member loosely fitted in said counterbore and engaging said radial shoulder at one end thereof, and a lockpin in the other end of said counterbore confining said elastic pin member within said pusher pin means against said shoulder,

said lock pin being peripherally grooved to form alternate axially extending V-shaped grooves and tapered lands and forming with the adjoining walls of the recess restricted flow passages,

whereby a supply of fluid is restricted by said elastic pin member and is further restricted by said lock pin.

3. A restrictor comprising a flow-passage-continuing stern having a bore extending therethrough counterbored at one end to provide an enlarged recess,

a pair of pins wholly confined in said enlarged recess of said stem,

the innermost pin comprising an elastic pin fitting in said recess with clearance but substantially filling a portion of said recess,

the other of said pins comprising a drive lock pin provided with a plurality of alternate circumferentially spaced axially extending peripheral V-shaped grooves and tapered surfaces adjacent the adjoining wall of the recess and firmly assembled in one end of said recess to retain and confine said elastic pin and together therewith providing a restriction to the flow of fluid through said stem.

4. In a gas fuel regulator,

a pusher pin having a passage extending therethrough, an enlarged elongated cylindrical recess in said passage,

an elongated elastic restrictor pin Wholly confined in said cylindrical recess and being of larger diameter than said passage but of smaller diameter than said cylindrical recess thereby to leave an annular recess around said elastic restrictor pin,

end walls on opposite ends of said elastic restrictor an abutment formed at one end of said cylindrical recess elastically engaging one of said end Walls, and confining means wholly received in the other end of said cylindrical recess elastically engaging the other of said end walls and retaining said elastic restrictor pin against axial displacement,

said confining means comprising a locking pin having a longitudinally extending recess of an axially extending V shape to form a convergent groove and a tapered land in the peripheral surface operable as a restricted flow path,

thereby to provide in series in said passage an elastic restrictor means and a rigid restrictor means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

